Category: Blog

Categories
DJ Highlights

Noobhammer’s Top 10 Metal Albums of 2008

Greetings metal community, the Noobhammer here with my top ten albums which smashed the gates with a hammer full of steel.

10. Trenches-The Tide Will Swallow Us Whole

This album was a complete shocker for me. Yet from the instant I popped in the cd, I knew I had something special. This cd combines the heaviness of Isis with the melody and intensity of Haste The Day.  This cd mixes these two elements perfectly into an album that doesn’t disappoint and will continually surprise you and have you listening to it again.

9. Arsis-We Are The Nightmare

This album blew me away with its sheer technicality and intensity. Arsis have always been one of those bands that just shock you with their skills on their respective instruments. This cd is no exception. With a step above United In Regret production wise, Arsis shows us what they can do when they flex their muscles and release that Virginian Death Metal machine.

Battlelore-The Last Alliance

8. Battlelore-The Last Alliance

Can you go wrong with Lord of the Rings? The answer is no, no you cannot. Battlelore has proven this by releasing their 5th full length album based off the works of J.R.R. Tolkien. They seem to gain their stride back with this release after releasing the much softer Evernight album previous to this one.

7. The Sword-Gods of the Earth

The Sword have quickly become one of the best stoner bands to ever come out. This cd is no exception. Their best work to date showcases what The Sword do best: Black Sabbathesque riffs that hook you and lyrics that just make no sense but will have you singing along nevertheless. That is what makes this album so great, their simplicity.

6. Sabaton-The Art of War

Sabaton has made a name for themselves as a power metal band that sings about wars. This album though is a album about the art of war. It has Sun Tzu’s teachings throughout it as we hear about Rommel’s Tank Division, the deaths in the trenches during WWI. This cd is just epic with its material and depth. It also has some very catchy songs that will have you banging your head.

5. Into Eternity-The Incurable Tragedy

The opening lines of this album, “The story is over”, paint the bleak outlook this album has with its concept about a patient who has cancer. This emotionally driven cd is some of the best work Into Eternity has done to date. Stu’s voice really shines on this album as well as Tim’s guitar playing. The mature growth that this band has shown over their last few albums is amazing and makes me impatient for the next album.

4. Avantasia-The Scarecrow

Tobias Sammet’s brainchild guest musician band is one of the best things to hit the metal world with it’s rock opera story and guest singers. I kept coming back to this album alot over the year due to it’s catchy songwriting and “can’t help but make you smile” lyrics. Michael Kiske, Alice Kooper, Jorn Lande, and kai Hansen all appear on this album making it a true masterpiece and hit album.

3. Pyramaze-Immortal

Pyramaze rose from ashes with the great Matt Barlow on vocals bringing out Pyramaze’s true potential and showing us what we all missed when Matt Barlow left the metal world. This cd just wakes you up and smacks you in the face with powerful lyrics and music. This is truly the year of the phoenix for most bands as they rose from the ashes into the spotlight of greatness.

2. Iced Earth-The Crucible of Man: Something Wicked Part 2

This was almost my album of the year just for its sheer genius and beauty that is contained within its walls. This album showed us what Iced Earth truly is, that no matter how many members they go through they can always release a great album. This album though brought back the prodigal son, Matt Barlow back to the folds of Iced Earth. His voice just fits so natural with John Schaffer’s guitars. This showed us the true power of Iced Earth and left us wanting more.

THIS IS IT!!! MY ALBUM OF THE YEAR!!! IT IS……

1. Cynic-Traced In Air

This is it. The big enchilada. Did you really not see this coming? I mean come on I even said that it was the year of the phoenix for most bands, and Cynic is truly a phoenix. They died in ‘93 with Focus and were recently reborn with Traced In Air. They have truly made a masterpiece that many will be talking about for the next fifteen years. This album can be listened to so many times, and yet you wish that there was more. That’s how good it is. It wants you to have more and just shows what a truly masterful beauty this album is that many bands could only dream of attaining. These guys deserve the album of the year for writing a true masterpiece that goes along with A Piece of Time.

-Noobhammer

Categories
DJ Highlights

WKNC’s Top 10 Daytime Albums of ’08

WKNC’s daytime music directors spent their first week of the new year locked in a room with nothing but a typewriter and 4 cartons of Lucky Strikes.  The result is the list published below of our picks for top albums of ‘08.

1. Bon Iver – For Emma, Forever Ago

2. Fleet Foxes – Fleet Foxes

3. French Kicks – Swimming

4. Helio Sequence – Keep Your Eyes Ahead

5. TV on the Radio – Dear Science

6. Why? – Alopecia

7. Mr. Gnome – Deliver This Creature

8. Hot Chip – Made in the Dark

9. A Faulty Chromosome -as an ex-anorexic’s six sicks exit,…

10. Lost in the Trees – All Alone in an Empty House

Categories
Music News and Interviews

After 22 years Yo La Tengo has changed thier name.

To the Condo Fucks. That’s right, one of indie rock’s oldest and most respected bands is now called the Condo Fucks. It’s hardly surprising from the band that called thier last album “I Am Not Afraid Of You And I Will Beat Your Ass.” The change is not permanent, at least I hope not. Their forthcoming LP ‘Fuckbook’ will apparently consist mostly of covers.

Categories
Band/Artist Profile

Bo Burnham, The Best Rapping Since Holiday Gifts Were Wrapped

YouTube is notorious for taking a typical person with a weird talent and transforming him or her into a celebrity. That wasn’t what I was thinking when I ventured onto the website one cold evening, however, I ended up stumbling upon one YouTube celebrity. His name is Bo Burnham. 

Bo Burnham is a young, northern, white lyrical genius. He has written 8 songs and created several short skits. 

Bo has been compared to comedians like Adam Sandler and Steve Martin, with sexual references and crazy puns! His best line, in my humble opinion is,

“You know im a gangsta, you know I do coke, But I had to go to diet, cause it burnt my throat.”

The best part of his whole act, though, are the intros and exits. He creates such an awkward pre-pubescent persona for himself… and it works. The introduction to his rap, “Bo Fo’ Sho’,” suggests that a hot woman was just in his bed doing sexual things… like, word-for-word.

“See you later incredibly hot chick. Come back anytime and do sexual things, like how we were just doing…" 

So, what does this mean for you? It means that Bo Burnham is becoming so popular that he has become slang. His name is synonyms with "cool” and “awesome.” For example, WKNC is not just Bo. WKNC is BO BURNHAM! Okay, so maybe his name is only slang among friends, loved ones, colleagues… but I feel that it has potential to be great. I encourage you to use it.

But first, Listen to him, it will blow your mind.

Categories
Music News and Interviews

I Was Totally Destroying It makes the Onion AV Club’s year end list.

Of worst and funniest band names. That’s right WKNC favorites I Was Totally Destroying It, now officially have one of either the worst or the funniest band names in the country.

My personal favorite is “3 Piston Ass Hammer”.

Categories
DJ Highlights

Top 10 Hip Hop Albums of 2008

Below is a list of what the WKNC Hip Hop DJs have come to an agreement to be the ten best hip hop albums of 2008. They are not ranked in anyway just listed. If you haven’t listened to one of these albums I strongly urge you to give them a listen.

Paper Trail by T.I.
Leave It All Behind by Foreign Exchange
The Carter 3 by Lil Wayne
Universal Mind Control by Common
Theater of Mind by Ludacris
The Renaissance by Q Tip
Emeritus by Scarface
Untitled by Nas
Rising Down by The Roots
Million Dollar Back Pack by Skillz

Categories
DJ Highlights

NEW WKNC Shedule is Up

Happy New Year to all.  As is necessary every semester here at NC State, WKNC must alter its schedule to fit the available times of all of our volunteers and DJs.

This spring semester is exciting in that we have established a new Weekend Program, the Post Rock Block.  Every Sunday from 6-8pm you can hear your favorite 35 minute long, noise filled, post rock tunes, hosted by DJs Gray Matter, Bridges, Cabbage, Matticus Rex and May Day.

Also, our weekly sports show, Call of The Wolf, has been changed from Thursday evenings to Tuesday evenings from 7-8pm, and is now hosted by a couple new members.

Local Lunch introduces one new DJ, DJ Ray on Tuesdays, and welcomes back DJ Caid on Mondays.  DJ Cabbage has switched to Wednesday, Murdoc to Thursdays, and Chelsey stays put for her normal Friday show.

Chainsaw has also moved up 2 hours to Thursday night starting at 10pm.  This change may not be permanent, but we are happy to give our dedicated Chainsaw listeners some extra time to get their rock on.

For more shows and times visit our Schedule Page.

Categories
Music News and Interviews

WKNC Announces Double Barrel Benefit #6

Set your calendars For Friday February 6th, and Saturday February 7th for WKNC’s annual Double Barrel Benefit #6 at the Pour House in downtown Raleigh.  Both nights are loaded with 8 of the best bands in our area for a small price, with all proceeds going to WKNC & NC State Student Media.

Prices are $7 in advance and $9 at the door.  There is a $5 surcharge for all attendees under 21.

Bands on Friday include (in order of appearance):
Lonnie Walker
Lost in the Trees
Schooner
Bowerbirds

Bands on Saturday include (in order of appearance):
I Was Totally Destroying It
Violet Vector & the Lovely Lovelies
Birds of Avalon
Polvo

WKNC will be broadcasting live from the site both nights.

Throughout the next month WKNC will begin featuring exclusive blogs about each of these fantastic bands leading up to the show.  Be on the lookout for those as well as listening to each of these bands on WKNC 88.1 fm.

In addition, the two days leading up to the show, WKNC will play 100% Local Music during its Daytime Format.   More information on this later.

Categories
Music News and Interviews

How To Find Out About Local Music

When I started Local Lunch in the beginning of 2008, I have to admit… I didn’t know jack about local music. I knew we had a show called The Local Beat and that our Double Barrel Benefit 5 was going to feature 8 local acts, but that was essentially it. So there I was, half way through January and still struggling to find something that made my show different from all of the other WKNC DJs, and all I knew was that my shift was set in the middle of lunch time, I was hungry, and I needed to plug some of the acts from DBB5. In a nutshell, that is basically how Local Lunch was born.

So now I had a locally themed show, but I still didn’t know anything about local music. I asked myself, “What is the best way to learn about the local scene?”; and knew that I had to get in to going to local venues and seeing local acts. Thankfully, DBB5 had 8 local bands who I had been spinning and enjoying for a month. Another long drawn out story later, I was having a great time watching a band called The Future Kings of Nowhere (FKON). And thus how I fell in love with local music and renewed my interest in music in general.

FKON went on to become one of my favorite bands in 2008, and that is why I encourage everyone to go out and explore the local music scene. If you are like how I was, and don’t know who to go see or where to go to catch great local bands at; I suggest you check out the WKNC Rock Report. Or find your favorite band for 2009 by attending WKNC’s Double Barrel Benefit 6 on Friday and Saturday, February 6th & 7th.

I was once told that “Some of the greatest experiences of life where to be had in places far from home”. I hope you will discover, like I did, that such a saying is untrue because of the experiences to be had at some place down the street, rockin’ out with bands from down the street.

Categories
Concert Review

Hands Up for 2009

I decided to ring in the new year at the Local 506 in Chapel Hill for their “Rockin’ Eve” show. Normally anything titled “Rockin’ Eve” would turn me away, but it the lineup was Hammer No More The Fingers, Red Collar and Kerbloki. I managed to miss all but about two songs from HNMTF and those were spent inching my way toward the bar. Let’s just say the place was a little crowded.

If you check out Red Collar’s MySpace, next to “sounds like” it says “there’s going to be a fire.” That’s actually a pretty accurate description. The band is VERY high energy. It didn’t hurt that it was New Year’s Eve and before their set the crowd celebrated the birthdays of drummer Jonathan Truesdale and bassist Beth Kutchma and the two year anniversary of Hammer No More The Fingers. There was cake.

It’s about 15 minutes to midnight, we’re all ready to rock, the lights dim and the band launches into Bruce Springsteen’s “Dancing in the Dark.” After appropriately pumping up the crowd, they squeezed in “Hands Up” before the countdown. I won’t rely exactly what the band suggested we do with 2008, should there be any children reading, but the idea was to move forward.

The first time I saw Red Collar was at the WKNC Double Barrel Benefit 5 in Feb. 2008. I caught them again in the fall at one our Local Beer Local Band nights at Tir Na Nog. If you are serious about making yourself “a better you” in 2009, I suggest you add “see more local shows” to your resolution list and put Red Collar at the top.